Hi everyone,
Happy New Year, I hope everyone has been enjoying time with friends and family and maybe getting into nature a bit on your days off!
As mentioned before, we surpassed our goal of getting 20 members to this group by the New Year, we're now at 27. Please keep sharing this project with your friends and encouraging them to join.
Does anyone have any suggestions for the project? I'd love to hear how we can improve. Thanks!
Hi!!!
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Exciting news! In line with my promise that through this project, I'd aim to better protect native wildlife, I went back into the Massachusetts Endangered Mammals List and iNaturalist observations and determined that observation locations for the Tricolored Bat and Little Brown Bat could make colonies vulnerable to interruption and should be obscured in Massachusetts. I'm excited to announce that my request for this was approved shortly after proposing it! Along with using iNaturalist as a tool and a hobby to document species locations, it's just as important to protect species locations when necessary. I'm thrilled about this significant win for mammal conservation efforts!
Thanks to @carefortheplanet for taking on the role of a new manager! Your dedication and willingness to contribute to the project will undoubtedly enhance its effectiveness. Feel free to introduce yourself to the members of the group and share your interests!
With 31 members now, the community is growing, and the increased participation in uploading Quabbin mammal observations is a testament to the group's enthusiasm and commitment. Keep up the excellent work, and I hope everyone has an inspiring week ahead!
Brendan
Hi everyone,
Our first ever Observation of the Week highlights @er1kksen's January 6th sighting of a Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus).
These hares, adapted to colder climates, are commonly found in northern regions and at higher elevations, where their thick coats serve to regulate temperature. While Snowshoe Hares are not frequently seen south of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, @er1kksen's observation in the Quabbin Reservoir Region is particularly noteworthy. In Massachusetts, only 35 Snowshoe Hare sightings have been documented on iNat, with just 15 reaching the research-grade level. Remarkably, only 7 of these observations capture the actual animal.
Congratulations to @er1kksen for submitting the first iNat observation that captures an actual Snowshoe Hare in the Quabbin Reservoir Region and only the third Snowshoe Hare observation at the Quabbin!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195971179
Best,
Brendan
